Negron blasts TaxWatch "turkey" list in senate vote

Negron, R-Stuart, in his budget presentation blasted the business-backed group for its annual turkey list, which points out member projects typically identified as pork or turkey. In other words, project requested by lawmakers for their districts, such as money for the Holocaust Museum in St. Petersburg or the rowing center in Sarasota.

Negron noted that TaxWatch was likely to come out with their list in the coming week or so identifying the projects, but said it was not TaxWatch's responsibility to create the budget. If TaxWatch wanted to write the budget, their members should run for office, he said, and "become the appropriators."

Negron said despite the surplus this year, the state still had a $2.8 billion reserve.

"Don't let people tell you we went on a spending spree," Negron said. "We didn't."